If retail is bumming you out, busting your balls, or generally pissing you off, I'd say try Etailers or just find a new hobby. SW toys are supposed to be fun (as are all toys). I think people take them too seriously. When you're stressing this much over plastic and carboard, it may be time to try something new.

I think it's funny that you see being treated poorly at a Target by employees "stressing over plastic and cardboard". It makes no sense to hold something in the store room and not sell it to a consumer. Target employees shouldn't lump any consumer in any category we are there to spend money in the store and it shouldn't matter if we're there to buy plastic men or toilet paper.

I think it's funny that you see being treated poorly at a Target by employees "stressing over plastic and cardboard". It makes no sense to hold something in the store room and not sell it to a consumer. Target employees shouldn't lump any consumer in any category we are there to spend money in the store and it shouldn't matter if we're there to buy plastic men or toilet paper.

I don't think it's OK to be treated poorly at all, I NEVER said that. I told him to talk to the STL if he felt he was being singled out by employees. If that didn't work, contact the DTL (district manager).

Some things are SUPPOSED to be held in the stockroom, such as Exclusives before a Set Date. They can hold merchandise in the stockroom, managers office, AP office, wherever, if it becomes an issue. It's their merchandise until paid for by the Guest. Regular stocked items SHOULD be pushed to the pegs/shelf when empty or low. IF there is backstock, which usually isn't the case, they should be filling it to capacity daily. There is a automated system in place that "pulls" the merchandise that sells through the checklanes. If 6 figures sell, and there are 6 in backstock, the system tells the backroom team what item and how many to pull, in order to fill the shelf.

I don't think consumers should be lumped into any category either.....but after 5 or so years, you get to know who your regular Guests are, and who the royal pains in the butt are. It may not be YOU, but someone that visits your store has put a bad taste in those employees mouths about "collectors". It may have been a Hot Wheel guy, or a Marvel Legends guy, but someone has made an ass of themself enough, to make that store believe Collectors are an unsavory bunch.

I have about 5 regular HW guys, 4 regular SW guys, 2 regular TFs guys, and a bunch of Moms that visit DAILY. I know them all pretty well, and have no problem helping them out if possible. Since I too, am a Collector, I know how hard it can be to find stuff in the wild.

Maybe if all Target's had a Collector working in Toys, things might be a little more organized or run better...I don't know. Of course, then some people would complain that he/she was taking all the good stuff for themselves or accuse them of hooking up their friends, or cornering the market to sell everything good on eBay.

Anyway, I digest....as much as I love SW toys, and my two walk in closets and wife can attest that I do, I don't think getting upset to the point of being redfaced, yelling at a store employee, is really worth the effort or embarrassment. That's why I suggested trying Etailers vs. Brick & Mortar stores.

Sometimes it may be a good idea to just take a step back and reflect on WHY you're doing this in the first place. Is it the thrill of the hunt, is it building armies of plastic people to relive your childhood, is it (a worthless investment) because you hope it will put your Grandkids through college some day? Me personally, I do it because of my love for SW........and because I like have armies of plastic people to relive my childhood. I'm getting f-ing old man, I have to have something to cling on to.

Shuttle last year maybe? The UBP's this year? None of the AT-RT packs, or the Redeco ARC were in the ad this week... I don't recall Order 66 sets EVER in a sales ad. I don't recall a battlepack advertised that wasn't a general release item... This is many years of collecting I'm running through my mind here, so maybe I'm mistaken, but usually the sales-ad promotional exclusives are VERY uncommon even, so the argument that "we want them there for the ad so we won't get them for you" doesn't hold up well to me either...

How often you ask? I would say with 100% certainty, that everytime there is a Target Exclusive (or in most cases several at one time), at least 1 is shown in an Ad the week of or after the item is planned to hit the floor, with the caption "other slected Star Wars toys on Sale".

Here's a quick list of Target Exclusives I know for a fact that have appeared in previous Ads.

I don't want to get caught up in the current discourse but wanted to just state that I went to my local Target yesterday on a quick stop to pick up essentials for my 2 year old (I'm sure you get the idea). I took a quick burn through the toys section and there were absolutely NO exclusives anywhere to be seen. Also, the only 'new' merchandise was the latest round of regular Battle Packs (Hunt for Grievous, Clone Attack, Bespin Betrayal). I didn't have time to do a DCPI check, but there was nothing out on the floor at all...

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The 60mm Sith Lord - All the hate and anger you've come to expect, now in a new conveniently sized package!

Ok, I just got back from two targets. One the low volume store had a end cap with the exclusives, suprise the high volume store didnt even have an end cap. Ok Pete what should we do in that case? If the street date was dec 2nd..hmmmm. If Target dosent want my $$$ for Star Wars, then they are not getting my $$$$ for Clothes,Video game, food, or anything else they sell in their dam stores! I have to also add this same store has stocked action figures maybe 3 times since mid summer!

1. They sold out before the set date due to collectors or scalpers using DPCIs to get them early.

2. They were put out on the Endcap and sold out due to collectors, scalpers and Moms.

3. They haven't built the Endcap yet, because they just haven't had the time.

4. They haven't built the Endcap because they don't have a Toy Team Lead (happens in a few stores around here) running the department.

5. They aren't checking their Planogram Set Dates, and don't even know it's supposed to be out.

6. They don't care about Set Dates, and just let stuff sit in the backroom until it gets Clearanced out eventually.

7. They hide the SW toys everytime you walk in the door, and wait for you to leave so they can have a laugh at your expense and post it on Youtube.....just a theory of course.

8. They never received the product because they continually sell Exclusives BEFORE the set date, and are being excluded from the program because of past infractions.

9. The toys are lost in the backroom, not scanned into a location, so they can't set the Endcap because nobody knows where it is.

10. The store is in a low volume area, where exclusives don't have a good sales history, so they are not included in the program, and the allotment for them was shipped to stores with better sales.

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To answer your other question....if they haven't stocked in months, it could be for several reasons.

1. They haven't received any new cases, because they haven't hit their Minimum On Hand count.

2. Someone is beating you to the NEW stuff everytime.

3. They keep getting the same assortment over and over, because that's what the DC was shipping them.

4. They had the same assortment in the backroom, and kept filling it with the same old crap everytime it sold down a few pieces.

5. Someone has stashed a bunch of figures. It is affecting the systems On Hand count, because the Team Members see (5) on the peg, but the system shows (40) On Hand. They don't change the count in the system because it affects the inventory levels, and they just hope someone finds the missing figures, and either buys them or returns them to the pegs so the #s even out.

Everytime you change the count of an item, it throws off the systems accumulator, and can slow shipments to the stores until those missing items are tracked down or accounted for.

Ok, I just got back from two targets. One the low volume store had a end cap with the exclusives, suprise the high volume store didnt even have an end cap. Ok Pete what should we do in that case? If the street date was dec 2nd..hmmmm. If Target dosent want my $$$ for Star Wars, then they are not getting my $$$$ for Clothes,Video game, food, or anything else they sell in their dam stores! I have to also add this same store has stocked action figures maybe 3 times since mid summer!

Are you asking me? I think you have me confused with Darth Chuck.

Personally, I would politely ask for help/assistance on whether or not they have the items in stock. In the Target I did get the exclusives at, they have the UBPs on the top of the shelves as well as some of the vehicles with only a handful of stuff in the actual SW section - I would definitely recommend that everyone check up high in all of the aisles if you're still looking for the exclusives.

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Peter

Letting my collecting OCD get the better of me on a DAILY basis... and loving EVERY minute of it!

I had no idea these were "hard to find". You guys should come to Chicago, this exclusive crap is at every Target. Scalpers are not picking these up. The only thing you cannot find are the Ultimate Battle Packs, those got gobbled up!

The Arc shark, Arc BP, AT_RT BP are not even worth the hunt, they kind of all suck. The Tie Bomber is nothing special if you have the old one. It comes with the crusty POTF2 Pilot, so even that's not worth fretting over.

Hey Chuck - just so you know I didn't want this thread to become a flame war. I do appreciate the help that Target-insiders such as yourself provide.

In response to your question about what kind of customer service I expect...

I guess what I was getting at was that when I go into TRU or the WalMart around the corner from my house or even the lower-volume Target that I also shop at, the people who work there recognize me, they are friendly, they know why I'm there, they've taken time to get to know me (and vice-versa), they know I'm not a scalper, etc...

The Target I'm referring to as a problem is the exact opposite. If you are a collector, you are the scum of the earth. You are mocked and you are refused service.

This is really no way to be treated.

I understand the wages must stink. I understand that customers must be rude at times. But if I'm polite and utilize the tools that the Target Corporation has placed in the stores to assist my shopping experience, then yes, I do expect some degree of customer service from the employees at this store. Since these same employees are the ones who see me regularly making purchases in the store, it would be nice if they would treat me better as a store "regular" as opposed to a "toy collecting scumbag".

Does that make more sense?

If you were to go ask the managers at this store if I was a "problem" customer - they would tell you that I am.

I have been told point-blank by the manager of this store that even though the pegs are empty and they have more product in the back, that does not mean that they have to bring more product out. I told him that Target customer service told me that I should ask for more items to be brought out of the place where they are displayed is empty. He screamed back at me that I couldn't possibly know Target policies better than him.

I have been told by the lady who manages the area that includes toys that X date is when they will reset the aisle to include an exclusive, only to return before X date, find the exclusive on the shelf (this happened with the Order 66 2-packs) and then when I ask her if she could bring out some more so I could get the rest of the set of six different pieces, be told that I couldn't even buy the ones I found on the shelf even though some of that very same product sold earlier in the day.

I have been told by this same person that even though there was only one figure on the eight pegs dedicated to SW figs, I needed to buy that figure in order to clear the pegs and have them bring more product out, only to wait for 30 minutes for them to finally bring out three figures that all looked like they had been stepped on and be told that that was all they had left in stock, only to have a friend check the price scanner two hours later and have the scanner report that more was still in stock.

Needless to say, all three times when I called the Target customer service toll free number, the operator I spoke with responded by telling me that none of these situations should have taken place. I have given them names of these managers and yet they are still working there.

It was after these events that the a.p.b.'s started going out. I have friends who are also collectors in the local area who have run into the same kinds of problems at this store but have no problems at any of the other locations where they shop.

Last point on this: I would be perfectly happy with a consistent Target policy that was adhered to at all times. But since we all know that is impossible, all I ask is for help when I go into the store.

« Last Edit: December 5, 2007, 07:55 PM by Pete_Fett »

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Peter

Letting my collecting OCD get the better of me on a DAILY basis... and loving EVERY minute of it!

I'm completely shocked all of the UBPs are gone at my 2 local Targets. Shocked. I thought for $50, and full of mostly rehashes, these things will sit like the much-cheaper regular battle-packs do. Never underestimate X-Mas shopping moms!

Quite a spirited discussion! Since we're all sharing, please allow me to add a novel of my own...

I certainly see both sides to this "argument", but I think I look at the chasing down of Target exclusives slightly differently than most folks do (or just more realistically, perhaps). I look at it as more of a "game" - me against Target, and me against my competition (scalpers and other collectors). Obviously, we all know how the Target system works and how to use it to our advantage, how Target employees view us, how our competition for the figures operates, etc. To me, it's "May the best man win", or perhaps the most clever, diligent, lucky, and/or persistent man. It often takes a combination of all of those things to continuously have success with these tricky and very popular exclusives.

Of course, one thing to keep in mind here on the boards is that the factors can really vary by geographic locations. I know that here in SoCal we have far more "scalpers" and toy dealers than in most other areas of the country because we often get the newest stuff first here on the West Coast (so on to eBay it often goes). However, that's offset by the fact that we also probably have more Target stores per square mile than anywhere else in the country as well (9 w/in 20 minutes of me). With all those stores also comes a wide variety of employees and managers, some who pay us no mind, and others who loathe our every breath. Lots of collectors 'round these parts too, so the combination of all of these elements can often lead to some less than desirable shopping environments for us at our local Targets.

While it certainly annoys the **** out of me that Target employees often lump the collectors and "scalpers" into the same despicable group, I can understand how our "high maintenance" toy demands might not look all that different from eachother to the average Target employee, so I just have to take the occasional gripes and attitude in stride. They don't always understand that we're actually competing against eachother (good vs. evil, for all intents and purposes), so if I ever get the sense they think I'm a scalper, depending on my mood at the time, I'll probably point out how off base they are (and that I don't appreciate the insult). Along those lines, I know I've had a few moments over the years where I've gotten rather pissy with a Target manager or employee, which doesn't really help matters, but I usually reserve that type of behavior for when they're seriously trying to screw with me thinking that I don't know any better.

Now back to "the game" of trying to nab these exclusives... Yeah, we all know the DPCI trick. But with enough experience in our local stores, we should also know who to NOT try to use it on, and who looks like a good candidate for offering some help (a new employee, or a younger employee who doesn't care what the "rules" might be, etc.) I'll "profile" someone to try my luck on as far as pulling something out of the back if it's listed as "In Stock", but not on the shelves. Do I think they "owe it" to me to go and retrieve said item(s)? No, not really. It might not seem like the best business practice to not sell something to a customer if they want it, but I understand that they might have their reasons (as Chuck alluded to above). If I get rejected with my request, I'll simply meander on over to another part of the store and take another stab at it with someone else, or move on to one of the many other nearby stores to give it another go. Obviously, the more you try, the better your chances are that you'll eventually succeed, and in that respect, I always do. Of course, I know I'm more fortunate than most to have a seemingly endless supply of resources (Target stores) available to me to aid in my quest.

It can just take a little patience and perseverance to finally score the desired loot, but if you just alter your mindset into treating it like a "game" (or a challenging scavenger hunt), it can actually be sort of fun, in a masochistic kind of way. I believe some of us old-timers still refer to this as "the thrill of the hunt", which is usually magnified with these Target exclusives. But I know that many of you have "wussed out" over the years and resorted to the dark side, and now shop online for your wares. Cheaters!! (back to the topic at hand) Target managers and employees will occasionally try to play their "games" in an effort to deter me, and I'll counter 'em with every trick in the collecting book that I have to offer. They may win a few battles here and there, but I ultimately win the war and get my goodies (and may make myself, and/or some of them, look like an ass in the process, but who cares). However, considering the fact that I spend thousands of dollars each year on Star Wars crap at Target (I prefer to buy all my SW stuff there), I can understand Pete's point about wishing we could have some level of respect for our customer loyalty, but unfortunately it's something I've grown never to expect since regardless of everything, at the end of the day we're often viewed with a bad rap. But it's on a store-by-store and employee-by-employee basis, so it's just something you have to live with as a collector, I guess.

Not sure what the hell my point was with all that rambling, other than to say that I get both sides of the issue, but looking out for #1 will always compel me to try to beat them at their own games (when they choose to implement them). That's my game, anyway...